“WATCHING my grandchild dying before my eyes was the worst thing and something I will never forget.”
These were the words of grieving gogo Vuyisile Lunika from Katlehong South in Ekurhuleni.
This was after her grandchildren - Philile Njozela (10), Lilitha Njozela (7), Ayabonga Njozela (5) and Nqobile Njozela (3) - died in a shack fire with 31-year-old Ernest Moloi, who is the boyfriend of the mother of one of the kids.
The incident happened on Saturday, 17 June, at about 11pm while the kids were asleep in one of the shacks in her yard.
The gogo said Ernest allegedly went to the house looking for her daughter, Bulelwa Njozela.
“He later found her in a certain house but Bulelwa refused to come home with him. They had been in good relationship but as to what happened on Saturday, he allegedly threatened to kill Bulelwa after he couldn’t find her. Sadly, he died with my grandchildren. I wish this happened when I was not around. It’s a traumatic that these children died before my eyes and I couldn’t save them,” she said.
Vuyisile said Nqobile's dad, Nkululeko Malinga, rushed into the shack in an attempt to save the children.
She said they didn't know how the fire started. Vuyisile said the children were full of life, and their deaths have left a void in her heart.
“If things could be changed, I would have asked God to take me because these children were still young and needed to be given a chance to grow up,” she said.
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Vuyisile said she had nine grandchildren and it was painful that four of them died in the fire.
“Philile was a quiet child. I told her to go and see her mum before I went out to do a piece job. When I came back I realised she didn’t go to her mum. Instead, she asked me for R5 to buy something. I gave her.”
She said Lilitha was the clever girl who was loved by her teachers at school. She said Ayabonga was a troublesome boy, who was known in the community. She said Nqobile was her last grandchildren out of the nine.
“She lived at her father’s place. When she came to visit she would look for me and when she found me, she'd kiss and tell me she loves me,” she said.
The kids' uncle, Mike Lunika (56), said: “We put what has happened in God’s hands because we don’t know what led to this tragedy.”
Mike thanked the Ekurhuleni municipal officials for their support.
“They have appointed a funeral parlour that will bury the children and also donated food. We're grateful to get such support because it was going to be difficult for the family.”
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesman, Maswati Mdluli, said they received a call for help on Saturday.
“When our team arrived at the scene, they found the shack had already been burnt and flames visible on the other side. Firefighters recovered five bodies. Four were minors, and there was another body of an adult. The five charred bodies were scattered (around the shack) and the matter was handed over to the police,” he said.
Gauteng police spokesman Colonel Mavela Masondo said an inquest docket was opened in Katlehong and the investigation is underway. He said the cause of fire can't be confirmed at this stage.
